Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-02-10
NATIONAL AFFAIRS.


Adversely to Mrs Logan's Pension-Sil-
yer Coinage.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.--The President yes
terday sent the following message to the
House,
To the House Of Representatives.:
In response to the resolution of the House OF
Representatives adopted on the 23d ult- calling
upon me for copy OF the treaty or convention
proposed to the Senate and ratified by that
body between the United States and the Gov
eminent OF the Hawaiian islands, herewith
submit report OF the Secretary OF State with
accompanying papers. II is proper TO remark
in this relation that no convention whatever
has been agreed to and ratified by the ''Pres-
dent and Senate" as is recited in the preamble
to the said resolution OF the House of Repre-
sentatives, but that the documents referred to
exhibiting the action OF the executive and SEN
ate respectively are communicated in compl-
ance with the request OF the resolution
GROVER CLEVELAND.
The report of the Secretary of State
which accompanies this communication,
embodies the text of the supplementary
treaty extending the Hawaiian reciprocity
treaty seven years, and transcript of the
proceedings of the Senate of January 20. on
which day a resolution was adopted ratify-
ing the treaty, but with the amendment
ceding Pearl river harbor TO the United
States for coaling station. The explana-
ton of this apparent contradiction seems to
ate requires the approval of the executive
and the action of the Hawaiian authorities
before the transaction can be considered
complete.
The President seems to have felt at liber-
ty to state to the House that certain things
had not been DONE and also to communicate
certain papers which were directly called
for, but under the rules and current prac-
tees regarding executive business in which
the Senate takes part, he was prohibited
from commenting on the matter further or
entering into explanation.
THE FISHERIES QUESTION.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.-The death of Perry
Belmont's brother prevents the chairman
on Foreign Affairs from attending the
meeting of the subcommittee charged with
the consideration of the Edmunds' retalia-
ton bill The New England members have
urged upon Representative Rice, of Massa-
chusetts, the necessity for immediate ac-
ton, in view of the bold attitude assumed
by the Canadians.
The war talk in Congress and in the
newspapers is, however, gratifying to
naval and military officers. They scarcely
anticipate that the trouble with Canada will
result in a passage at arms with England.
They only see in the controversy which has
arisen over the fishery question sure spe-
cific for inducing Congress to put the coun-
try into condition for defense and even for
aggression if that becomes necessary. A
naval officer who has studied the situation
very closely, speaking of the defenseless
condition of the country, says:
1T would be ridiculous for the United
States to provoke a war, especially with sc
powerful nation as Great Britain, for we
would be as helpless as babes and our
coasts would be at the mercy of the invad-
ers. Any war we may engage in will not
be conducted on land but on water and
along the coast. If England once landed
her forces we would be able to whip them
out, as we have always done, but we will
not have chance to do this. All the ma
tions of the world have been building great
navies, and making improvements in ord
nance; they have also paid attention to
coast defense. Look at our great line of
coast without sufficient protection to repel
the attack of a row-boat. The nation that
wages war against us will merely have to
let her ships lie to a short distance from
the coast and destroy every city along the
coast"
ADVERSE TO CERTAIN PENSIONS.
WASHINGTON, Feb. I'm its adverse re-
port upon the Senate bill granting pen
sion to Mrs. Logan, the Committee on In
valid Pensions of the House, says that
should Congress pass the bill, and the pre-
cedent set by it be carried out, it would in
crease the pension roll S345,0 900 annually.
In a majority of the cases, as in this case,
no relief from actual embarrassment or
poverty would be afforded. 1t was well
known that thousands of poor and aged
widows of brave and worthy soldiers were
denied the pittance of Sl2 per month be-
cause of their inability to connect the
death of their husbands with their military
service; while in this case no sort of claim
was advanced that the death of General
Oft NJ
vice. 1t was well known fact that Mrs.
Logan was in possession of an
ample estate and while the committee en-
tertains the highest regard for her, both on
account of her character and personal
worth, as well as on account of the brave
md gallant record of General Logan as a
soldier, and his useful and spotless record
as civilian and statesman. they believe
that the passage of this and all similar bills
you'd be in the direction of building up in
this country an aristocracy contrary to the
very principles of an equal government for
all for which General Logan so CALAMITY
ought in war and so ably contended in
times of peace. A similar report was pre-
sented in the case of the Senate bill to in
crease the pension to the widow of General
Frank Blair. The committee says that
there is no alleged need upon the part of
Mrs. Blair and while it has high appre-
citation of the gallant services of General
Blair, it is unwilling to recommend the pas
sage of the bill because it is not in harmony
with our system of pension laws.
SILVER COINAGE.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3.-The Secretary
of the Treasury has transmitted to the
Speaker of the House an answer by the Di-
rector of the Mint to the House resolution
relating to silver coinage, in which the Di-
rector presents table, from which it APP
pears that the cost of the amount of bullion
on monthly purchases during the
past fiscal year was 81, 39S 002 and the face
value Of the coinage S29, S3S. 935. During
the first six months of the current fiscal
year the cost of the monthly purchases of
bullion was Sl3, 54S, 403, and the coinage Sl5.-
D6O, SOL. In only one month July, 1881 did
the coinage fall below S200O,OO0. In that
month the total cost of the purchase deliv-